Naruto Manga/Anime Discussion IV

[The Transient Guest]

So lemme get this straight. The only hope right now is for Naruto to use his ninja negotiating skills, possibly via headbutt, to someone that over the course of their life felt alienated and eventually became so disillusioned he became a heartless killer.
This guy is also attached to the head of a giant monster and his main goal right now is to make everyone take a nap.

Nope, never seen this plotline in Naruto before.

But that would also mean....come to think of it.....Naruto might just stick something up the 10 tails butt.

[immortality]

I'm a sad panda, why couldn't it be Kiba or something. Although I it is bittersweet, the last 3 panels are amazing, with Neji's smiling and his mark disappearing.

[GrampaGen]

I'm moved yet mildly disappointed.

On the one hand, Neji's death is meaningful and brings his arc to a close while making the whole conflict feel a bit more 'real'.

On the other hand, if the mokuton had killed Hinata, that would've been, editorially speaking, ballsy as hell.

Yes, I know she ate it before, and yes, it would be a fridging - blah blah feminism marches on, yadda yadda women Naruto useless - but dammit, that would've cranked the tragedy up to eleven, especially if she died on her feet with a smile.

Guess Kishimoto didn't feel like cracking the fandom in half this week.

[Rosebunse]

I hope to god this is not the case.

You pretty much defeat the purpose of Neji's sacrifice, or the sacrifices of the other Shinobi. In other words, that would make death as meaningful as it is in the DBZ universe.

Please, God no! No, I hope this sticks...I need this to stick! Please Kishi, please keep this one character dead!

I'm moved yet mildly disappointed.

On the one hand, Neji's death is meaningful and brings his arc to a close while making the whole conflict feel a bit more 'real'.

On the other hand, if the mokuton had killed Hinata, that would've been, editorially speaking, ballsy as hell.

Yes, I know she ate it before, and yes, it would be a fridging - blah blah feminism marches on, yadda yadda women Naruto useless - but dammit, that would've cranked the tragedy up to eleven, especially if she died on her feet with a smile.

Guess Kishimoto didn't feel like cracking the fandom in half this week.

To be fair, killing Hinata would have been, well...

Really think about it. It would have been like Rin's death to Obito. Actually, that's probably what Obito was trying to do with this one...

No, it would have take the manga to a very, very dark place. Keeping Hinata there still gives the readers hope that things will kinda get back to normal after the war. Kill Hinata, and you take the manga to a very, very dark place.

[The Once And Forever]

Which is what needs to happen in order for Naruto to win the philisophical struggle against Obito.

His staying happy and positive in the face of the enormous amount of crap that has personally happened to him isn't enough, because Obito did the same thing, he has to overcome the great anger and sadness that comes from watching those you truly love and care about die in order to do what Obito couldn't. Now, the mirror would fit better if it were say...Sasuke killing Sakura, but we already flirted with that.

[Dark Soul # 7]

Which is what needs to happen in order for Naruto to win the philisophical struggle against Obito.

His staying happy and positive in the face of the enormous amount of crap that has personally happened to him isn't enough, because Obito did the same thing, he has to overcome the great anger and sadness that comes from watching those you truly love and care about die in order to do what Obito couldn't. Now, the mirror would fit better if it were say...Sasuke killing Sakura, but we already flirted with that.

But he already did that, more or less, when he dealt with Pain.

His home village was destroyed, friends and teachers were killed and he was faced with the harsh reality that the ninja world isn't black and white at all. That he was able to overcome his personal anger for the sake of stopping the cycle of violence is what turned Pain around to believeing in Naruto. And ever since then he's just been building on on all these things.

It'd be a bit repetitive is what I'm saying.

[The Dog]

But he already did that, more or less, when he dealt with Pain.

His home village was destroyed, friends and teachers were killed and he was faced with the harsh reality that the ninja world isn't black and white at all. That he was able to overcome his personal anger for the sake of stopping the cycle of violence is what turned Pain around to believeing in Naruto. And ever since then he's just been building on on all these things.

It'd be a bit repetitive is what I'm saying.

Pretty much.

Having Obito kill Hinata while she's protecting Naruto would be quite literally repeating what happened during the Pein vs. Naruto fight, right down to the villain impaling her.

[Rosebunse]

Pretty much.

Having Obito kill Hinata while she's protecting Naruto would be quite literally repeating what happened during the Pein vs. Naruto fight, right down to the villain impaling her.

Yep, and we know how that ended.

Naruto lost his mind for a few minutes, but with a little bit of help, he was able to overcome it. If it happened again, I imagine Naruto would be able to deal with it. I mean, Naruto going crazy would be the last thing Hinata would want.

[remydat]

Pretty much.

Having Obito kill Hinata while she's protecting Naruto would be quite literally repeating what happened during the Pein vs. Naruto fight, right down to the villain impaling her.

Not to mention Hinata is not to Naruto what Rin was to Obito. Obito was very clearly obsessed with Rin while Naruto seems pretty oblivious to the fact that Hinata is crushing on him and appears more interested in that dumb blond who has spent most of the manga fawning over Sasuke. While I am sure Kishi will have Naruto eventually realise that Hinata is da bomb, killing her now before Naruto clearly comes to that realisation is pretty pointless.

[Rosebunse]

Not to mention Hinata is not to Naruto what Rin was to Obito. Obito was very clearly obsessed with Rin while Naruto seems pretty oblivious to the fact that Hinata is crushing on him and appears more interested in that dumb blond who has spent most of the manga fawning over Sasuke. While I am sure Kishi will have Naruto eventually realise that Hinata is da bomb, killing her now before Naruto clearly comes to that realisation is pretty pointless.

While I agree that Naruto doesn't have the obsession towards Hinata that Obito had to Rin, it would appear from recent chapters that Naruto realizes that the thing with Sakura isn't going to work out and that Hinata did save his life.

[Dark Soul # 7]

While I agree that Naruto doesn't have the obsession towards Hinata that Obito had to Rin, it would appear from recent chapters that Naruto realizes that the thing with Sakura isn't going to work out and that Hinata did save his life.

You know, that whole crush Naruto had on Sakura (which was pretty much based on nothing but a kid falling for another kid for reasons) does seem to be largely not there anymore. I'm not saying that he's going to fall head over heels for Hinata right this moment but the NaruSaku ship does seem to be taking in quite a bit of water.

[remydat]

While I agree that Naruto doesn't have the obsession towards Hinata that Obito had to Rin, it would appear from recent chapters that Naruto realizes that the thing with Sakura isn't going to work out and that Hinata did save his life.

Oh no doubt, he is coming to his senses. I am just saying his feelings for Hinata are not yet at the Obito/Rin level so it isn't really the same. Emphasis on the word yet. In fact Hinata is closer to Rin in than Naruto in the sense that Hinata and Obito both seem to have an unrequited love for someone who seems to be oblivious to it.

[Len Ikari145]

You know, that whole crush Naruto had on Sakura (which was pretty much based on nothing but a kid falling for another kid for reasons) does seem to be largely not there anymore. I'm not saying that he's going to fall head over heels for Hinata right this moment but the NaruSaku ship does seem to be taking in quite a bit of water.

Meh, I'd wait until they speak again before proclaiming any foregone conclusion on the shipping front. As it stands, Sakura seems to be muddled about her feelings and Naruto seems to accept that he may not have a place in Sakura's heart, but still retains romantic feelings for her. And *if* the NaruSaku ship does sink, Kishimoto better get crackin' with some long overdue interaction that doesn't involve dramatic, near-death experiences so it doesn't seem like Hinata is Naruto's rebound girl. Just because she saves his life does NOT obligate him to return her feelings.

[Rosebunse]

Meh, I'd wait until they speak again before proclaiming any foregone conclusion on the shipping front. As it stands, Sakura seems to be muddled about her feelings and Naruto seems to accept that he may not have a place in Sakura's heart, but still retains romantic feelings for her. And *if* the NaruSaku ship does sink, Kishimoto better get crackin' with some long overdue interaction that doesn't involve dramatic, near-death experiences so it doesn't seem like Hinata is Naruto's rebound girl. Just because she saves his life does NOT obligate him to return her feelings.

You're right, but this isn't coming completely out of left field. Naruto and Hinata did seem to have "something" when he saved her and her squaud from the Zetsu.

[The Dog]

Not to mention Hinata is not to Naruto what Rin was to Obito. Obito was very clearly obsessed with Rin while Naruto seems pretty oblivious to the fact that Hinata is crushing on him and appears more interested in that dumb blond who has spent most of the manga fawning over Sasuke. While I am sure Kishi will have Naruto eventually realise that Hinata is da bomb, killing her now before Naruto clearly comes to that realisation is pretty pointless.

Wait... What? What dumb blonde? Do you mean Ino? Cause Naruto hasn't really had any interactions with Ino one-on-one, romantic or otherwise. Or did you mean Sakura? Because Sakura has pink hair, not blonde. Or is there some third blonde girl I don't know about.